After years of controversy over kneeling during the national anthem, it certainly sounds as though that practice will become the norm around the NFL in 2020.
In light of the death of George Floyd and ensuing protests, the discussion of kneeling to protest injustice has taken on a new intensity around the league. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, many players are expecting “record numbers” of pregame protesting in 2020. The expectation ranges from full team demonstrations as a show of unity to smaller groups of players going above and beyond kneeling to make a statement about police brutality, with kneeling being considered the “bare minimum.”
After asking several players over the weekend about the pregame scene in 2020, many are bracing for kneeling at record-setting numbers – and possibly bracing for never-before-scene demonstrations. (With the great @JayHarrisESPN) pic.twitter.com/TPJeklurUc
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 15, 2020
The tone among players is very different this time than it was when the kneeling debate first began. White players and coaches have said they will kneel along with black players, and one player who voiced his opposition to kneeling backtracked after being widely condemned by many colleagues. That sort of thing certainly did not happen in 2016, when Colin Kaepernick first began kneeling.
To be clear, this will still be controversial. But after Roger Goodell seemingly issued players a blanket permission slip to peacefully protest, the NFL establishment certainly seems united behind that right.
